Chapter 7: Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
- Assessment of Abnormal Growth Curves
This website contains an article from the July l998 issue of American Family Physician. In this article, James D. Legler, M.D. and Lewis C. Rose, M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center discuss the steps involved in evaluating children with suspected growth abnormalities. Read the article. What are the four principles of growth assessment that are central to determining whether a growth abnormality exists?
- American Dental Association
The ADA (American Dental Association) is the professional organization for American dentists. This website provides information to the general public and includes dental care articles. Search this site for information on primary (baby) teeth. How can children take care of their primary teeth? Explain in detail how the health of primary teeth affects the health of permanent teeth.
- Nature, Nurture and Early Brain Development
Sara Gable, State Extension Specialist, compiled the material on this site. It describes the physical development of the brain during a child’s first three years of life and suggests ways to nurture this development. What does the site say the brain’s primary task is during the first three years of life? How do the number of neurons and the number of synapses change during this period? What are at least two suggestions on the site for ways that caregivers can nurture cognitive development in toddlers?
- Handedness and Brain Lateralization
This site was created by Indiana University and features the research of M.K. Holder, Ph.D. Read this brief article on handedness and brain lateralization. What does handedness have to do with brain lateralization? Why should this topic be of interest to researchers concerned with human development?
- Lorin’s Left-Handedness Site
Lorin’s Left-Handedness Site is one of the most comprehensive websites on left-handedness. All claims regarding left-handedness made on this sight are referenced to a scientific study listed in the reference section of the site. In addition, the site provides links to other websites on the same topic. Review this site and take note of at least five interesting facts about left-handers.
- I Won’t Grow Up: The Causes of Psychogenic Dwarfism
This paper on the characteristics and causes of psychogenic dwarfism was written by Karen Munoz, a student at Bryn Mawr College. After you read it, you should be able to explain the relationship between stress and hormone levels. You’ll also find out how extreme stress interferes with health nutrition. You’ll also find links to other Web resources on this topic.
- Human Growth Foundation
Created by the Human Growth Foundation, this website provides information on various growth disorders including human growth hormone deficiency. Review the site and identify three causes for growth failure in children.
- The MAGIC Foundation
The MAGIC (Major Aspects of Growth in Children) Foundation is a non-profit organization established in l989 in Chicago to provide education about more than 100 growth disorders and support services to affected individuals. What kinds of support services are offered to individuals affected by a growth disorder?
- How Your Thyroid Works
This webpage is part of the endocrineWeb.com website. It provides extensive information on the thyroid gland. In this article, the thyroid is described as being like a furnace and the pituitary gland acting as its thermostat. Explain this comparison.
- How Preschoolers Approach Eating
This site is part of Canada’s Health Promotion Online website. This resource discusses how preschoolers approach eating and how Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating can be used to promote healthy eating among preschool children. Review the information and food guide on this site. Why is healthy eating so important for preschool children? Why is a food guide designed for preschoolers recommended as a tool for parents?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveys national disease trends and environmental health problems. This agency has organized an agency network to address problems of infectious disease in child care. Search this site to find information on techniques that prevent the spread of infection.
- American Academy of Pediatrics
This website provides public education on a variety of childhood health issues. Among the many pamphlets and publications available are written guidelines for the effective control of infectious disease.
- Immunizations
This site offers extensive information from the Centers for Disease Control regarding immunizations. The information includes information on a number of diseases, including measles, polio, and chicken pox. For each disease, the site describes the benefits of the vaccine, a schedule for the vaccine, and possible adverse reactions to the vaccine. Review the site and list the six common misconceptions about immunization and vaccinations.
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission establishes and enforces product safety standards. This website has been created to provide information on safety issues and the recall of dangerous consumer products. Here, you will also find current statistical information on childhood injuries.
- National SAFE KIDS Website
The National SAFE KIDS Campaign is an organization dedicated to the prevention of unintentional injuries in childhood. There are local SAFE KIDS coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Survey the site. What are some of the safety concerns featured on this website that are not mentioned in your text?
- Fair Start
The Fair Start Program in Thunder Bay, Ontario, has developed a booklet that parents can download to screen their toddlers’ gross and fine motor development. What advice do parents receive on this site if their child is not yet showing these skills?
- KinderArt
This site contains creative activities for preschool children. Survey the various activities. Find five activities that foster fine motor development.
- Kids Online Resources
At this page on the site developed by Kids Online Resources, you will find links to many online stories, rhymes, and songs that young children would enjoy.
- The Jean Piaget Society
The Jean Piaget Society was established in l970 to provide a forum for the study of the development of human knowledge. Click on the JPS 2002 Symposium conference link. View the program presentation titles and abstracts. Select a couple of presentations of interest. Then, using a search engine, investigate the other research contributions this presenter has made to this field.
- Constructivist Learning Design
This site is a resource for applying constructivist theory to educational experiences. The author, Michelle Collay, outlines a method by which teachers can plan for students’ learning rather than planning for how they will teach. After reviewing this site, determine how Collay’s constructivist philosophy reflects educational principles derived from Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
- Sociocultural Theory
This site, created by the University of Colorado in Denver, provides many links to current research based in sociocultural theory.
- Vygotsky and Language Acquisition
According to this site, how do thought and language differ? What happens at age 2 that is so significant for development? What are the critical determinants of the way one thinks?
- Vygotsky and Constructivism
This site contains many links to articles regarding Vygotsky and education. Why is Vygotsky considered to be a constructivist?
- The Collaborative Classroom
This site contains a very comprehensive article on the collaborative classroom. After reading the article, list the characteristics of the collaborative classroom and some of the teaching practices used in a collaborative classroom.
- Beyond the Individual-Social Antimony in Discussions of Piaget and Vygotsky
Once you get beyond the rather intimidating title, you will find an interesting and understandable article that compares and contrasts the theoretical ideas of Piaget and Vygotsky. What do these authors see as some of the false dichotomies that have been created when comparing these theorists? How do they see the two theories as complementing each other?
- Visual Media and Young Children’s Attention Spans
This article was written by Gloria DeGaetano, a national speaker and consultant on issues related to children and media and the author of Screen Smarts: A Family Guide to Media Literacy. The author considers the effect of hours of television viewing on children’s attention spans. How does the author consider visual media and attention span to be related? What suggestions are given for increasing a child’s attention span?
- UAB Cognitive Development Lab
This link will take you to the site maintained by the Cognitive Development Lab at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. There are links to research articles and conference presentations by the faculty associated with the lab on the topics of Children’s Mathematical Strategies and Children’s Memory Strategies. The articles deal with both normally-developing children and children with cognitive deficiencies.
- The Children’s Literature Web Guide
The Children’s Literature Web Guide categorizes books for children and young adults. This site also provides information on Internet resources related to books for children and young adults. After reviewing the site, what books would you recommend to parents interested in fostering their preschooler’s literacy?
- Helping Your Child Learn to Read
The U.S. Department of Education developed this site to suggest strategies and activities for fostering literacy development from infancy through age 10. After reviewing this site, develop a list of 20 ways for parents to foster literacy in the home.
- The Math Forum
The Math Forum is a website produced by Swarthmore College and funded by the National Science Foundation. Aside from the forum features, this site provides information regarding math resources, math education, and key issues in math. When visiting this site, click on Math Education. Then click on Constructivism. What is the constructivist philosophy of math education? How can this philosophy be connected to Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s views on education?
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
The National Association for the Education of Young Children is an organization dedicated to promoting excellence in early childhood education. Student membership is available. The membership includes a subscription to a bimonthly journal, Young Children, concerned with research and practice in infant and early childhood development and education. While visiting this site’s homepage, click on Accreditation. After thoroughly reviewing the information on accreditation, delineate the pros and cons of a voluntary accreditation system.
- The Association for Childhood Education International
The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) is an organization interested in promoting sound educational practice from infancy through early adolescence. This site contains information regarding student membership, conferences, and subscribing to ACEI journals and newsletters. When visiting this site, acquaint yourself with this organization’s history and purpose. Then, click on Parents and select an article to read that is related to early childhood education. In what way does this article reflect or fail to reflect the educational applications of Piaget’s theory?
- National Network for Child Care
The National Network for Child Care website offers extensive information on child care and child development. When visiting this site click on Quality Child Care. Select and read an article from the “Preparing Your Child” index of articles. How can parents best prepare their children for the child care experience?
- National Head Start Association
Project Head Start was founded by the federal government in 1965 to provide children with a year or two of preschool, along with nutritional and medical services. There are currently over 2000 Head Start programs nationwide. Click on the link to the article Government Study Finds Head Start Works and read about the findings from the 2002 Family and Child Experiences Survey. If you were advocating for continued funding for Head Start, what information would you use from this article?
- Aboriginal Head Start
This page is devoted to information about Canada’s Aboriginal Head Start Program. From this page, click on the link to Program and Participants 2000. How many children does the program serve? What are the demographics of the population served? What are the six program components described in the report? How is the program similar to and different from Head Start in the United States?
- High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
The High/Scope Educational Research Foundation is devoted to improving development and education from infancy through the high school years. While at this site, select a study to review. Then, explain how this study addresses current issues or extends previous research findings in child development.
- National Institute on Media and the Family
The National Institute on Media and the Family is an organization that provides research, education, and information regarding the impact of the media on children and families. Among other things, this site features a rating system for evaluating various media, tools and resources for parents and educators, and quizzes for evaluating family media habits. Click on Score Card on this site. What can you learn about your own media habits? Next, visit Hot Topics. After reading an article you have selected, be prepared to discuss the impact of media (other than television) on the family.
- Communication Disorders
This site provides information on how to recognize communication disorders and who to contact for information and assistance. Explore the Learn More About It section of this site. Select an article on a communication disorder that is of interest to you. Perhaps you have known someone with this disorder. How can this disorder be detected? What can be done to assist someone with this disorder?
- Autism and Pervasive Development Disorder
This fact sheet has been prepared by the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities. What is the incidence of this disorder? What is the gender difference in the incidence? What is the range of characteristics shown by children suffering from this disorder?
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